Amsterdam, Netherlands — Audion Therapeutics today announced that it has entered into a 2-year agreement with Sanofi-aventis to develop new treatments for hearing loss through a regenerative medicine approach.

This collaborative research will utilize technology that optimizes small molecules, which was developed at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in the Eaton-Peabody Laboratory by investigator and Audion co-founder Dr Albert Edge, who has strong expertise in stem cells and inner ear biology.

Audion licensed Edge’s technology from Mass Eye and Ear, one of the world’s largest basic research facilities dedicated to the study of hearing and deafness, Under the terms of the agreement, Sanofi has an option to license technology rights from Audion related to research conducted under the collaboration.

"This alliance with Sanofi validates our thinking around developing small molecule regenerative drugs for the treatment of hearing loss. We are very excited about this collaboration," said Rolf Jan Rutten and Helmuth van Es, founders of Audion Therapeutics. "Sanofi’s interest in the hearing loss field, plus its vast experience and infrastructure in small-molecule drug discovery, make them the perfect partner to move this program forward as diligently as possible."

Audion, which was founded by Albert Edge, Helmuth van Es, and Rolf Jan Rutten, has technologies and molecules that originated from Albert Edge’s research at the Mass Eye and Ear and then were exclusively licensed to Audion.

SOURCE: Audion Therapeutics